New Delhi, July 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday informed the Supreme Court that it has reconstituted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating alleged financial irregularities in the handling of donations and offerings received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana was hearing a batch of petitions seeking a court-monitored investigation into the allegations.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government, told the apex court that the SIT had been constituted and had taken charge of the investigation. He said the team is headed by Inspector General of Police Kiran S and includes Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ayodhya Somen Verma, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ayodhya Dr Gaurav Grover and an Additional Superintendent of Police.
During the hearing, the petitioners sought the inclusion of an independent accountant in the investigation team. The Solicitor General agreed to include a forensic auditor as part of the SIT.
Taking note of the submission, the Supreme Court observed that since the allegations involved possible misappropriation of trust funds, the involvement of a forensic auditor would be appropriate. The court recorded that a forensic auditor would be associated with the SIT as a member of the investigation team.
The Bench directed the SIT to submit a status report and said its immediate focus was to ensure a “fair, speedy and qualitative investigation”.
Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for one of the petitioners, alleged that devotees who had contributed amounts ranging from ₹100 to ₹1,000 in several cases were uncertain whether their donations had reached the Trust. He suggested that donation receipts be uploaded on the Trust’s website to allow contributors to verify their payments.
The Supreme Court, however, said the present focus was on the investigation and that further remedial measures could be considered at a later stage. The Bench said that if the SIT faced any difficulty during the probe, appropriate directions could be issued.
The development follows the court’s earlier direction on July 20, when it asked the Uttar Pradesh government to consider reconstituting the SIT with a senior IPS officer at its helm and ensure that the investigation reaches its logical conclusion.
The court had also cautioned against politicising the matter, observing that the investigation must remain fair and that courts should not become platforms for political disputes.
The petitions before the Supreme Court, including those filed by advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami, petitioner-in-person Ajay Kumar Rai, RJD MP Sudhakar Singh and Hindu Dharma Parishad, seek judicial monitoring of the probe into alleged financial irregularities related to donations and offerings received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
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